Web feed mechanism for adjustable rotary imprinters



D. L. GORBATENKO Feb. 16, 1954 WEB FEED MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTABLE ROTARY IMPRINTERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 10, 1951 //v v5 ran L. sows/11x0 ATTORNEY 6, 1954 D. L. GORBATENKO ,669,453

WEB FEED MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTABLE ROTARY IMPRINTERS Fild March 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IV VE/V TOR DIM/77?! L. GORBATE/VKO A TTOR/VE) Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEB FEED MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTABLE ROTARY IMPRINTERS Dimitri L. Gorbatenko, San Francisco, Calif. Application March 10, 1951, Serial No. 214,879

8 Claims. (01. 271-2.4)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in web feed mechanism for adjustable rotary-imprinters. Reference is made to my'co-pending application Serial No. 137,439, filed January '7, 1950, for Adjustable Rotary Imprinters. One improvement hereinafter set forth relates to an improved means whereby the linear feed of the web per revolution of the printing cylinder may be adjusted, particularly in that the adjustment may be made even while the machine is in operation.

The present invention is used to imprint or overprint symbols on a web of stock, and has particular application where a large quantity of labels or the like are printed at one time and subsequently imprinted in smaller quantities with symbols indicating price, ingredients and the like. The term label is used herein to include other similarprinted units of relatively short length. l

The present invention results in greater flexibility of the imprinter in that the mechanism which advances the webis accurately adjustable so that the distance which the web isadvanced for each revolution of the drive shaft of the machine may be equalized with the exact length of the'individual labels.

An object of the present invention is an improved means whereby the adjustment of the web pull mechanism may be performed even while the machine is in operation;

Still another object of the invention is the employment of rotatable tension rollers driven in synchronism with the web pull cylinder, the web being caused to pass between said rollers and said cylinder; the force with which aid rollers bear against said web pull cylinder being adjustable. The importance of this feature resides in the fact that especially when the web is caused to advance intermittently it is important that the inertia of the web movement be overcome or at least accurately controlled and hence a constant engagement between the web and the web pull cylinder is desirable.

.A further object of the invention is the provision of novel mechanism whereby intermittent rotary motion is imparted to one member from, anotherrotary member, the relative angular motion of the first member with respect to the second member being adjustable even while one or both members is in operation.

Other. and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading the following specification of the invention, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevation of an imprinter showing the relative locations of various parts of the imprinter;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the Web feed mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along theline axis of the principal rotatable members of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the cam which regulates relative movement of the driven member and associated mechanism for adjusting the position thereof;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the cam and cylinder with which it engages, together with associated mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a geometric development of the cam periphery in a fiat plane;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modified structure for regulating relative intermittent movement of the driven member from the driving member; and

Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the structure of Fig. 9.

The present invention is used to imprint or overprint labels or the like which have been previously printed on a web I U of paper stock or the like wound on roll ll, each label being in very close proximity to the adjacent label. It is further understood that each label in web Ill will ordinarily be of exactly the same: length as every other label in the web and that the space, if any, between labels will not vary, but that occasionally the dimensions of labels will vary gradually as the result of various factors. Labels of various lengths may be imprinted with the instant invention, and the feed of the web through the imprinter is adjustable for different lengths of labels without interchange of the various printing and feeding cylinders employed.

Although not described in detail herein, it will be understood that the web is caused to pass through printing mechanism l2 of generally conventional construction, passing between rotary impression cylinder I 3 and plate cylinder l4. Plate cylinder It. carries rubber type plate It attached to the periphery thereof by adhesive material and hence removable therefrom, and the words, figures or othersymbols of said plate l6 may be changed as. desired. Type plate I6 does not ordinarily extend circumferentially around plate cylinder H but only partially therearound. It is desirable, although not essential that the circumferential length of plate l6 be equal to the length of the individual labels on Web ID, or multiples thereof. Cylinder I4 is power driven and rotates continuously at uniform speed. During each revolution of plate cylinder l4, plate l6 contacts web ill as it is drawn over impression cylinder l3 and thereby imprints the desired symbols on :the label in the exact location desired. When labels of different lengths are to be imprinted, the circumferential length of plate It is varied accordingly. The upper limit of the length of plate It is the circumference of cylinder l4, but "it will be understood that plates of considerably shorter length may be used without interchanging eylinder M for a cylinder of different diameter. The radius from the central axis of cylinder 14 to the periphery of plate It is greater than the radius from said axis to the periphery of cylinder 14. Hence when that portion of cylinder M which is not covered by plate I6 is over impression cylinder l3, there is no contact with web Hi, said web being kept tight a ainst the surface of cylinder 13 by various tension means (not shown).

It is the function of the web feed mechanism 20, hereinafter described, that web 10 b fed a distance equal to the length of .one label (or multiple while plate I is passing over impression cylinder '|'3 and then beheld stationary while the portion of plate cylinder M which is not .covered. by plate ['6 is passing over the impression cylinder 13. In this Way, .any label having a length less than the circumference of cylinder |.4 may be imprinted and labels may be consecutively arranged on Web Ill without any gap between consecutive labels. Web ID is fed intermittently a distance equal to (the length of a single label (or multiple) for each revolution .of plate cylinder 4 and then remains stationary when plate 16 is not in contact With web 19.

The web feeding mechanism 20 is designed to feed web H! a distance equal to the length of a label or the exact desired distance between two identical symbols printed on the web and to so feed .the web .only when plate J6 is passing over impression cylinder l3 and not to feed the web during the remainder of each revolution of cylinder M.

The web feed mechanism "is supported on ,a carriage 2| "hearing opposed side plates. 22 tied to h r a fi ed distance apartby transverse tie rods 23. Said carriage 2| may be moyabllellongitudinally of the machine as is described in detail in my said application Serial No.137,439.

We 111 is a sed .t pa s ver Web pull cylinder 3|, which is preferably provided with a resilient or rubber roll 32 and provided with journals 30 received in plates 22. Vertically above cylinder 3| is pull shaft 33 to which cam '34 lislkeyed for slidable movement axially .of said shaft. A portion 36 of the circumference of cam '34 is higher than the remainder thereof, as hereinafter described, and said higher portion .36 is preferably knurled, milled or otherwise roughened along its peripheral surface so that when said portion 36 contacts resilient roll 32 it :bites into the resilient surface thereof and upon rotation of .cam '34roll 32 is rotated. Pull shaft 33 is positively and con-. tinuously driven off the main drive shaft of the machine insynchronism with the shaft of cylinder'l4.

As has been stated, portion 36 of the circumference of cam 34 is higher than the remainder thereof, constituting a zone of engagement with roll .32. As shown particularly in Fig. 8, one

boundary 4| of said zone of engagement is an axial line 4| on the circumference of the cam. Another boundary is the edge 42 of said cam adjacent plate 22, the same being disposed at right angles to the axis of shaft 33. The third boundary of said zone of engagement is a three-dimensional curved line 43, preferably a portion of a helix 2Whl0hilltflIS6CtS boundary :4| and bQundary 42.. .Asseeninl iis. raised iportion 361s in the form of a right triangle, but other shapes may be employed.

Cam 34 is moved axially by means of a pair *of yokes .51 on opposite sides thereof, said yokes being spaced apart a distance equal to the thick- .ness of .cam 34 by spacing sleeves 52 on slidable rods 53 on which. said yokes are mounted. The ends'of =rods-53 extend through and are horizontallysupported in plate 22 and are fixed to yoke 54 outside plate 22. Screw 53 is rotatably fixed to plate .22 and in threaded engagement with yoke 54, said screw being provided with an adjustment head .51 and a lock nut '58. Thus by turning head 51, yokes 25'! maybe moved axially with respect to shaft '33, and since cam 34 is slidable axially on shaft 33, the position thereof may be adjusted toward and away from plate 22. "Lock nut :58 may be employed to fix the position of said cam 34 once it is selected. Collar 59 fixed on shaft 33 is used to limit the inward movement of cam 34 away from plate 22. {Plate 22 may be recessed as indicated by reference numeral 5111.

so as to permit cam '34 to be drawn ,close against plate 22.

The resilient cylindrical surface of roll 32 does not extend entirely across the machine, but on the contrary said resilient surface terminates-a distance from side plate '22 through which rods 53 pass, said distance being about equal to the thickness of cam '34.

36 of cam 34 does not engage resilient roll '32.

When in that position, although shaft 33 and cam 34 rotate --conti-nuously, ro1132 is not turned. By moving cam 34 inwardly (away from plate 22) a portion of surface 36 is brought into contact with roll 32 during each revolution of shaft The latter effect results from the helical or curved contour of boundary '43- It will be seen that cam 34 may be slid axially While the machine is operation, and hence the angular travel of cylinder 32 per revolution of shaft 33 or plate I4 may be adjusted even 'while the machine is in operation. The angular travel of cylinder 32 determines the linear travel of web l0. By-proper adjustment of cam 34, web to may be advanced the exact length of one label.

'The direction of rotation'of cam 34 is such that boundary line '4! preferably first contacts surface 32, and the machine is preferably adjusted so that line 4| contacts surface 32 at the instant that the leading edge of plate f6 passes over impression cylinder I3 hence-web 3|0 commences feeding at the instant that plate 16 commences printing, regardless of the length of the pa ticular label on web 1-0. "Iheoretically, the distance from line 4| 'to curved line 43 measured circumferentially at right angles to shaft 33 :is equal to the length on one label '(or'multiple). Actually, due to slippage, inertia and various other factors, this relationship is subject to variation, and

such variation may be compensated by axial .ad-

Hence when cam 3'4 is drawn as closely as possible toward plate 22, zone accrues:

justment of cam 34 even whileth'et machine is inoperation.

An alternative means for intermittently driving cylinder 3I from shaft 33 is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. Whereas a milled surface 36 engaging resilient roll 32 has been described, a more positive drive may also be employed. For such purof cam 34. The angular rotation ofcylinder32.

per revolution of shaft 33 may be. adjusted by moving driving gear 62 inwardly and outwardly by the same or equivalent means used to slide cam 34. The teeth of gears BI and B2 ar preferably rounded so as to make the adjustment finer and for the same purpose the number of teeth is made large.

In order to provide constant tension on web "I0 and overcome inertia effects of the moving web and various moving parts, two or more tension rollers 'lI areprovided disposed vertically above cylinder 32, the surface of said tension rollers being knurled or otherwise roughened so as to grip web I3. The diameter of rollers II may equal that of cylinder 32. said rollers II are slidably mounted on sleeve I2, and are adjustably held in position by setscrews I3 passing through collars I4 and gripping sleeve I2 so that their position may be adjusted axially with respect to sleeve I2 depending upon the width of web Ill and other factors; To one end of sleeve I2 is fixed gear I3 which meshes with gear 11 fixed for rotation with cylinder 32. Sleeve I2 fits around but is not fixed on shaft 33, and the internal diameter of said sleeve 72 is sufficiently greater than the diameter of said shaft 33 so that sleeve I2 may be adjusted vertically to permit insertion of web In between tension rollers H andbylinder 32 and also to permit adjustment of the pressure of rollers H against roll 32 as hereinafter described. Thus shaft 33 turns continuously, but sleeve I2, and with it tension rollers II, move intermittently in synchronism with cylinder 32.

Rotatably mounted On sleeve I2 is apair of arms I8 extending out from sleeve 19 which is pivotally mounted on transverse shaft 8| journalled in plates 22. Pivotal movement of arms I8 adjusts the pressure on tension rollers II and upon web Ill. Each of said arms I8 bears a pressure lever 82, one end of Which is pivoted in arm I3 and the opposite end of which is biased upwardly by spring 83 disposed within a bore in said arm I8. Pork 84 pivoted on transverse shaft 86, also journalled in plates 22, is positioned to engage levers 82. By twisting knob 81 on shaft 83 the force of the tines of fork 84 against levers 82 may be varied and this in turn varies the pressure exerted on tension rollers II.

The pressure of cylinder 32 against cam 34 may be adjusted by vertical movement of said cylinder. Each end of shaft 30 of cylinder 32 is journalled in a bearing block 9| located at each side of the machine with bushings 92 interposed, and said blocks 9I are vertically slidable in ways in side plates 22. Cams 93 located bearing against the lower ends of blocks 9| may be employed to raise said blocks 9| in their ways and with the blocks cylinder 32 against the pressure of springs 94 interposed between the tops 6 x of blocks BI and plates 22. Cams 93 are eccentric and are mounted on rotatable shaft 36 journalled in side plates 22 and carrying a knob 91 at one end. Manipulation of knob 31 causes rotation of shaft 93 and this rotates cams 33. Further details of the adjustment mechanism are set forth in greater detail in my said application Serial No. 137,439.

. Shaft 33 is driven by means of skew bevel gear IOI from the main drive shaft (not shown) of the machine, which said main drive shaft is also arranged to drive the shaft of printing roll I4 in synchronism.

"In order to feed web It through the printing mechanism without danger of tearing, a pair of rolls I 32 and I33 is positioned between roll II and printing mechanism I2, said rolls I32 and I03'being of the same diameter as roller 32. The shaft of roll I03 is connected to shaft 33 of cyline der 3i by sprockets I33 and I33 and chain I07 so that rolls I02 and I33 feed web II simultaneously with and a distance equal to the feed imparted to web I Iby cylinder 32.

Another sprocket I03 is connected to shaft 3|] and by chain I33 to rewind roll II2 so that the web may be rewound after imprinting. Alternatively a cut-off mechanism may be employed to sever labels from the web.

Operation tance from boundary ii of zone 33 measured circumferentially and at right angles to the axis of rotation of cam 34 to the point where boundary 43 last touches roll 32 as said cam is rotated equals the distance between consecutive identical symbols to be imprinted. Cam 33 is adjusted so that cam 33 bears against roll 32 with the proper amount of pressure for accurate driving ofsaid roll 32.

Web H) is threaded through the machine, passing between the various cooperating feed rolls, including the space between rolls I32 and I33, between cylinders I3 and I4, and between tension rollers II and roll 32. The end of web I II is attached to rewind roll H2 or passed through a cut-off mechanism, as required.

Operation of the machine causes intermittent rotation of roll 32 and tension rollers III and of rolls I32 and I I33, which feeds web I 3 through cylinders I3 and I4 a distance equal to that between consecutive labels (or multiples) for each revolution of the machine. If said distance has been inaccurately set initially, or if conditions change as the machine operates, cam 34 is adjusted to compensate for error. The tension of rollers II against web It is also adjusted for proper feeding.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail by way of illustration and example, it will be understood that changes in structure may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adjustable, intermittent web feed mechanism, a shaft arranged to be rotated continuously, a web feed cylinder, a pressure roll biasing said web into contact with said web feed cylinder, said web feed cylinder and pressure roll cooperating, lupon rotation of said web cylinder, to deed .said web, first means rotatable with said shaft, second means intermittently engageable by said first means and rotatable with said cylinder, .one :of :said means being :slidable axially with respect to its axis 01' rotation and having .a. continuous zone of engagement and :a zone of disengagement, said 'zone of engagement and said zone of disengagement lbeing discrete, the boundary :between which being a :continuous line oblique :to the axis :of rotation of :said means, said zone of engagement being :completely radially elevated relative to said zone of disengagement torotatably engage the other of said first "two means, said zone of engagement :being disposed and arranged :so {that axial movement of said 'slidab'le meansadjus'ts the angular travel of said cylinder :per revolution of said shaft, .and third means controlling axial movement of said slidable means.

Awebfeed-mechanism according tocla'im 1, in which the configurationof said elevated zone developed in a plane is in the shapelofanintegral wedge.

3. A web feed mechanismiaccording to claim 1, in which said first means is a cam, said elevated zone is the high dwell of said cam and is roughened, and said second means :is :a resilient roll into which said elevated .zone bites.

4. A web feed mechanism according to claim 1, in which said first means is a gear having teeth the configuration of which developed in a plane is in the shape of La 'wedgeand saidsecond means is a gear having meshing teeth around ,its entire circumference.

5. ,A web .feed mechanism according [to claim 1, in which side plates are provided in which the rotating members are journalled, which said third means comprises a screw mounted in one of said plates, a pair of yokes .on opposite sides of said .slidable means, and fourth means in threaded engagement with said screw and .arranged to move said .pair of ,yokes, whereby upon manual adjustment of .said screw the position of saidslidable means maybe axiallyadjusted.

6. Mechanism for transmitting intermittent rotary motion from .a .firstrotatable member'to a second rotatable member, comprising first means rotatable with one of said members, second means rotatable by the other of said members and viintermittently engageable with said first means, one of said means being axially slidable relative to the other of said means in a direction parallel :to its axis of rotation :and being provided with :a peripheral surface divided :into a ioontinnous zone .of engagement and .a zone of disengagement of :a radius of curvature less than that of said zone of engagement, said zone 10! engagement being completely elevated radially relative to :saidwzone 10f disengagement, said two zones being discrete and separated by a continuous line oblique to the axis of rotation of said first means, the configuration and arrangement'ofsaid zone of engagement being such that, as said slidable means is slid relative the :nther of said means, the angular travel -10f one of said means :per revolution of the other ,of said means is :adjusted, the amount :of adjustment being continuously variable :as :said slidable means is slid, and thirdtmeans adjusting :axial movement of said slidable means.

17. Mechanism according to claim 16, :in "which said zone .of engagement is the :high dwell :of ,2. roughened .cam surface 011 zone of said first two means, said 'zone of engagement having a boundary oblique "to the axis of rotation of said firstmeans, .andinwhichthe other of saidmeans is znrovided with a resilient surface into which said roughened surface :bites.

.8. Mechanism according to claim .6 in which said .zone of enga ement is provided .with gear teeth, said zone when developed in a flat plane having :at least three boundaries oblique to each other and in which the other of said means :is provided with teeth continuous circumferentiall-y therearoundand-arranged to mesh with the teeth of said zone of engagement.

DIMITRI L. GORBAI'ENKO.

lief-encodes (Jihad in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,841,517 Beaney Jan. '19, 1932 2 323.415 Overbury July 6, 1943 "2,451,833 Koch 'Oct. '19, 1.948

EOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2795829 Germany Sept. 11, 19-14 

